Chapter 49
Maybe it was the lack of the hospital’s antiseptic smell, but Annabel had a restless night at the White residence.
In Annabel’s dreams, Lillian kept sneering at her, saying, “We killed your mom. She is already waiting for your grandpa in hell
“No, Grandpa” Annabel jolted awake from the nightmare. Outside, the world was cloaked in a dim, bluish haze. It was only six in the morning.
She sat up, sweat beading on her forehead, her entire body trembling, not from fear, but from sheer rage.
A hatred so intense, Annabel wanted Lillian to suffer endlessly, trapped between life and death.
Clenching her teeth, Annabel hissed like a demon, “Lillian, you wait-”
Lillian had been waiting for Annabel’s bedroom door to open. She smoothed her dress, her face lighting up with a sweet smile as she stepped forward. “Good morning, Annabel, I will help you downstairs.”
Annabel didn’t resist, allowing Lillian to support her as they headed down the stairs.
‘Being overly helpful for no reason? How suspicious, she wondered. Annabel’s curiosity was piqued, and she couldn’t help but look forward to whatever Lillian was plotting.
As they reached the stairs, Annabel caught sight of Lillian subtly sticking out her foot, clearly trying to trip her. A cold, mocking smile tugged at the corner of Annabel’s lips.
With ease, Annabel sidestepped the attempt and tightened her grip on Lillian’s arm. With a sharp tug and twist, Lillian crumpled to the ground like a ragdoll.
“Ah.” Lillian’s piercing scream echoed through the entire villa.
“M–My hand is broken.” Lillian wailed, her face contorted in pain as she tried to lift her arm, only to cry out louder. “Mom, my hand is broken. Mom-”
Beatrice came rushing over at the sound. “Lillian, what’s the matter?”
In her panic, Beatrice tripped on the stairs and tumbled down, dragging Victor, who was following closely behind, into her chaotic fall.
The villa was filled with a chorus of anguished screams, but none of it stirred even a flicker of satisfaction in Annabel. Her expression grew colder, her icy gaze fixed on the absurd scene unfolding before her.
Beatrice quickly stood up and rushed to Lillian, grabbing her arm with a worried expression. “Lillian, sweetheart, what’s wrong? Stop crying and tell me. What happened?”
Lillian’s face was streaked with tears as she clutched her right hand, sobbing uncontrollably, “Mom, A–Annabel broke my hand. It hurts so much. I can’t stand it.”
“Bitch,” Victor stormed upstairs, pointing a finger at Annabel’s face as he shouted furiously, “Annabel, why are you being so cruel? Lillian is your sister. How could you break her hand?”
Beatrice’s tears flowed even harder as she looked at Lillian’s limp hand, her voice trembling with emotion. “Annabel, if I’ve done anything wrong, take it out on me. Lillian is meant to be a pianist, a doctor How could you destroy her future like this?”
Annabel let out a cold laugh, her gaze sweeping over Lillian. Annabel didn’t find that she had any potential to be a pianist or a doctor.
‘She’d make a decent actress without much real talent, right? With her acting skills, she should be able to get by quite well in the entertair Annabel thought.
industry,
Victor’s fury only grew as he noticed Annabel’s detached demeanor. Her indifference shocked him, and his voice rose to a roar. “Annabel, you’ve gone too far. Today, I’ll teach you a good lesson. You need to learn what it means to follow the rules.”
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Chapter 49
He turned to the servant downstairs and barked, “Bring me the thorned whip.”
The servant hurried off to fetch the whip. Beatrice, still sobbing, couldn’t help but let a flicker of satisfaction cross her face.
Lillian, suffering the searing pain, burned with hatred. She wished nothing more thart for Annabel to be whipped until she was on the brink of death, better yet, with salt rubbed into her wounds. Lillian wanted Annabel’s suffering to be a hundred, no, a thousand times worse than her own.
The servant quickly returned with the whip. Victor, seeing Annabel frozen on the stairs, stormed over and yanked her down without hesitation.
He moved so quickly that he paid no mind to Annabel’s injured leg, completely ignoring her
iny
The sharp pain in Annabel’s leg, which had been on the mend, flared up again, stabbing through her like a knife.
Annabel gritted her teeth and wrenched her arm free from Victor’s grip. “Let go of me,” she snapped, her voice filled with defiance.
Victor’s face darkened with rage. Without a second thought, he grabbed the long, thorned whip and swung it at her with all his might.
The whip, covered in sharp, hook–like barbs, was vicious enough to tear through blankets, let alone human flesh. The lash ripped through Annabet’s clothes, leaving a glaring, bloody wound on her skin.
Annabel let out a muffled grunt but refused to cry out in pain. She straightened her back, her icy gaze locking onto Victor’s with unwavering defiance.
Victor hesitated for a moment, the whip frozen in mid–air. Beatrice sobbed, pleading, “Victor, let’s just talk to Annabel calmly. Please, don’t hit her.”
Annabel glanced up, her expression cold. The whip had already struck, and Beatrice’s plea came just a little too late.
Beatrice flinched under Annabel’s icy gaze, her sobs turning into muffled cries.
Victor, seeing Annabel’s stubborn defiance, raised the whip again. “Bow and apologize to Beatrice and Lillian.”
Annabel scoffed, her voice sharp and unyielding. “Now way, I sure as hell won’t bow to liars and bitches.”
Victor, enraged, swung the whip again, but Annabel caught it mid–air. The whip cracked against her palm, splitting her skin open. Blood dripped steadily onto the floor, but Annabel’s cold gaze didn’t waver.
Annabel’s voice was calm yet cutting. “Dad, are you trying to kill me?”
Victor’s eyes burned with fury as he gritted his teeth, pulling at the whip. “You’re my daughter. Your life and death are mine to command.”
Annabel let out a bitter laugh. “Oh, so when Lillian cries out in pain, you want to beat me to death? She stole my fiancé. Did you even scold her once for that?”
Victor retorted with righteous indignation, “Lillian was drugged. And don’t make it sound so trivial. You broke her hand.”
“Oh no, Lillian.” Victor, still fuming from his argument with Annabel, suddenly remembered Lillian’s supposed injury. He immediately dropped the whip and rushed to get her to the hospital.
As Lillian was being helped out, she passed by Annabel. Lillian’s eyes fell on the bloodstains on the floor, and she couldn’t resist throwing a smug glance
in Annabel’s direction.
But as soon as Lillian looked up, she caught sight of a cold, sinister smile playing on Annabel’s lips. Before Lillian could react, Annabel grabbed her right hand.
In a frosty tone, Annabel said, “Lillian, you’re not even hurt. Why make Dad and Beatrice worry over nothing?”
Terrified, Lillian tried to pull away, but before she could break free, Annabel yanked her hand hard, sending a sharp jolt of pain through her arm. “Ah, Mom, help me,” Lillian screamed.
Beatrice’s face turned pale as she shoved Annabel away. “Lillian’s hand is already broken, and you’re still going after her? Are you trying to kill us both?”
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Chapter 49
Victor exploded in tage. “What the hell are you doing, Annabel?”
Annabel replied calmly, her voice dripping with menace, “Just reminding my dear sister that lying too much has consequences.
Lillian was genuinely terrified now, trembling as she whimpered, “Dad, Mom, my hand hurts so much. Could we please go to the hospital? it Fourts so
bad.”
To make things move faster, Lillian rolled her eyes back and pretended to faint.
Victor, panicked, shot Annabel a glare and barked, “I’ll deal with you when we get back.” Then, he scooped Lillian up and rushed her to the hospital
Annabel glanced at the blood–stained whip in her hand, let out a cold laugh, and tossed it to the ground.
“When you get back, we’ll see who’s dealing with whom,” she wondered.
The X–ray results at the hospital left all three of them stunned.
The doctor, visibly annoyed, glanced at Victor, who was pestering him. “I’ve already told you. Her hand is perfectly fine. Please don’t hold up other patients, alright?”
Victor’s face turned ashen after the doctor’s reprimand. Annabel’s earlier words suddenly echoed in his mind.
Annabel had said Lillian was just pretending, that she wasn’t hurt at all, and even told him to stop falling for her lies. But back then, Victor hadn’t believed a single word.
Upon seeing her father’s grim expression, Lillian’s voice trembled as she spoke in a pitiful tone, “Dad, I swear, Annabel really broke my hand.”
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.